The dark side of our everyday products
As designers, we love staying up to date on the latest products and trends. The world has made that difficult, though; tech, fashion, and design industries are evolving quickly. There is always something cutting edge to buy or upgrade. It is nearly impossible to keep up, but with the internet and never-ending information, we continue to chase the next greatest thing. Are there any downsides to the constant upgrading and replacing of our items? The saying goes, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t,” and the adage holds today. Here are a few industries in which products or systems may seem appealing, but the dark side of their facade is beginning to emerge.
Tracking Devices of the Tech Industry
There’s a plethora of tracking devices on the market today — Tile, Chipolo, and now the Apple AirTag. These seem like innocent little trackers that make it easier to find misplaced keys, wallet, or even a child, but these can be very dangerous products in the hands of a predator. People in abusive relationships use them as tools for stalking. While other devices have been out for much longer, Apple boasts nearly 1 billion users, making the Air Tag the go-to option for many users.
Apple has addressed some of these concerns in the function of the AirTag. One solution is if the tag isn’t paired with its corresponding iPhone after three days, it will chime, alerting the person that there is an air tag on them that is not theirs. However, what if the abuser is someone you come home to every night? Or what if they aren’t around when it chimes? Three days is a long time and there are obvious workarounds to this small security feature. In the small scope, this technology can be helpful for aggravating moments when you misplace something important or with the goal of child safety, but it’s the large-scale potential of air tags that concern many tech users. In time, we hope updates will make this a safer product for both adults and kids.
Fashion Industry
It has become so easy to update your wardrobe. Head to the nearest mall or hop online and hundreds of thousands of options await you. You can spend a lot, or a little to be set for the next season. Brands like Shein, H&M, Gap, and Zara all carry affordable, fashionable clothes that most of us have in our closets. At times, we buy them for ourselves or our kids without thinking.
But can we buy these with a clean conscience? Not necessarily. It may come as a surprise, but the fashion industry is the #2 polluter in the world, beaten only by the oil industry, and it’s not just the environment that is our only concern. Every day, we throw away enough clothing to fill the Empire State building 1.5 times; that’s a garbage truck full of clothing every second. We rarely keep a piece of clothing and wear it out. Instead, we replace items after a few wears before upgrading to something more fashionable.
This fleeting cycle is detrimental not only to our planet’s resources, but also to the people who create our garments.
Environmental Justice Issues
Social Justice Issues
Not all hope is lost though. Many clothing brands know the issues with the fashion industry and work to offer sustainable options, rejecting the idea of fast fashion entirely. Patagonia is a brand that has been in the news a lot lately; from raising money for the climate crisis to protecting our national parks, Patagonia has a deep respect for ethical and sustainable practices, including their clothing. Patagonia has a line called WornWear that buys and sells their used clothing, so nothing goes to waste. Everlane is another brand that is catching traction in the sustainable fashion world. They spend months researching each factory their clothes are made in and post transparent prices on every item. They also use clean materials and have vowed to eliminate virgin plastic from their supply chains by the end of this year!
Housewares
No one looks forward to cleaning, right? But that feeling when your house is in order, and everything is squeaky clean is unmatched. We use multipurpose sprays for the counters, soap for the dishes, and tough chemical cleaners for the oven. There is a specific product for almost everything, but some of these cleaners can be dangerous.
Multipurpose cleaners are great and can be a one-stop shop for lots of messes, but many of them contain a chemical, 2-butoxyethanol, that can cause skin irritation, sore throat, and, if ingested, potential organ damage. It might seem rare for an adult to consume a cleaner, but overspray from cleaning can land on the ground and other surfaces to be ingested by crawling babies or toddlers.
Air fresheners make the house smell great, even when it might not be clean. But did you know that some of these sprays can make the air more toxic inside than outside? Vague ingredients listed as “fragrance or “odor eliminator” can include chemicals like formaldehyde. This can absorb into fabrics and rugs and re-release chemicals into the air repeatedly even after the product is done being used.
Luckily, there has been an increase in demand and use of natural home products and product transparency in general. Although you might feel like the antibacterial spray is keeping your family healthy, wiping your tables off with mild soap and water, or just water alone, is enough. You can keep your home smelling and looking good by opening the windows or diffusing oils. Save the chemicals for the occasional deep cleaning and keep your home and family healthier.
There is no way to get away from the fast-paced society we’ve built. But we do have the ability — and responsibility — to research the companies we buy from and the products we bring into our homes. It won’t be perfect every time. Sometimes it’s okay to buy that cute shirt you love from Old Navy, but having respect and understanding for companies who think sustainably is a great place to start. At Lumen, we love to highlight trends, but challenge ourselves to hold innovation in tension with sustainability and ethics. We hope this inspires you, too.
